berry



Feb. 7, 1956 J. E. BERRY 2,733,734

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 28, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATT Feb. 7,1956 J. E. BERRY BUILDING CONSTRUCTION 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 28,1951 Feb. 7, 1956 J. E. BERRY BUILDING CONSTRUCTION 4 Sheets-Sheet 3Filed Dec. 28, 1951 A 7' TU/QNE 5 Feb. 7, 1956 J. E. BERRY BUILDINGCONSTRUCTION 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed DBOpZG, 1951 r 2,733,784 PatentedFeb. 7, 1956 BUILDING CONSTRUCTION John E. Berry, Minneapolis, Minn.

Application December 28, 1951, Serial No. 263,842

4 Claims. (Cl. 189--2) The invention herein presents a new and improvedbuilding construction formed of several different kinds of easy tohandle, precision built, prefabricated assemblies each of metal in thedisclosure as made.

This application is a continuation in part of my abandoned applicationSerial No. 661,678, for Building Construction, filed April 12, 1946.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a building incorporating features andcharacteristics of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view, on a reduced scale and partially broken away, ofthe building of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view, partially in section and partiallybroken away, of floor panel members of the building;

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view, taken on any of lines 44 in Fig. 2,or as on line 44 in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view, taken on line 5-5 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view, taken on line 66 in Fig. 3;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged perspective view, partially in section andpartially broken away, of a side panel member of the building;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view, taken on line 88 inFig. 1;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view, taken on line 99 inFig. 1;

Fig. 10 is a sectional view, on a reduced scale, taken on line lib-10 inFig. 7;

Fig. 11 is an enlarged perspective view of a window frame as whenassembled with side panel members of a building such as disclosed inFig. 1;

Fig. 12 is a detail sectional view, taken on line 12--12 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 13 is an enlarged perspective view, partiallyin section andpartially broken away, of one form of roof member employed in thebuilding;

Fig. 14 is an enlarged perspective view, partially in section andpartially broken away, of another form of roof member employed in saidbuilding; and

Fig. 15 is a detail sectional view, taken on either of the lines 15-15in Fig. 1.

Speaking generally, a building made according to the invention consistsof flat floor panel members each of triangular configuration in outline,flat floor panel members 21 each of rectilinear configuration inoutline, side panel members 22, corner panel members 23, curvilinearroof members 24 each of general triangular configuration in outline, andcurvilinear roof members 25 each of general rectilinear configuration inoutline.

Floor structure of the building is provided by a plurality of the floorpanels 20, 21, vertical bounding walls of the building are provided by aplurality of the side and corner panel members 22 and 23, and roofstructure of said building is provided by a plurality of the roofmembers 24, 25.

As disclosed in Fig. 2 of the drawings, there are six of of the floorpanel members 20, all supported upon a suitable foundation, and eachconstructed to have the shape of an equilateral triangle. Each floorpanel member 20 is bounded by channel bars 26 secured'to each other bywelding and having their upper and lower flanges, respectively, lying ina single plane. Reinforcing channel pieces 27 are in spaced relation toeach other and have their opposite ends secured to said channel bars 26.

A sheet metal covering 28 is suitably and conveniently fastened downupon each floor panel member 20. Desirably, each sheet metal covering 28may be welded to the channel bars 26 and the channel pieces 27 of thecorresponding floor panel members 20.

A covering 29 of wood is suitably and conveniently fastened down uponthe sheet metal covering 28 of each floor panel member 20.

There are two of the floor panel members 21, supported upon the samefoundation as are the floor panel members 20, and each constructed tohave the shape of a square.. Each floor panel member 21 is bounded bychannel bars: similar to the channel bars 26 secured to each other bywelding and having their upper and lower flanges, respec-- tively, lyingin the planes of the upper and lower flanges: of said floor panelmembers 20. The floor panel mem-- bers 21 include spaced reinforcingchannel pieces, similarto the reinforcing channel pieces 27, secured tothe channel bars of said floor panel members 21.

A sheet metal covering 30 is fastened down upon each floor panel member21, and a covering 31 of wood is fastened down upon the sheet metalcovering 30 of each floor panel member 21.

The floor panel members 21 are disposed centrally of the building indirection from front toward rear thereof, and the floor panel members 20are disposed at the opposite sides of said floor panel members 21 and atthe opposite ends of said building.

Meeting side edges of floor panel members 20, 20 are provided withcomplementary interfitting tongues and grooves, denoted 32. See Figs. 4and 6 of the drawings. Meeting side edges of floor panel members 21, 21,and meeting side edges of floor panel members 20, 21, also are providedwith complementary interfitting tongues and grooves equivalent of thecomplementary interfitting tongues and grooves 32. Stated otherwise,when side edges of the floor panel members 20 and 21 are placed incontiguous relation, longitudinally extending tongues upon one ofmeeting side edges interfit with longitudinally extending grooves in theother of meeting side edges in each instance, and the contiguous sideedges are bolted, as at 63, the one to the other, thus to provide asmooth floor surface.

The vertical bounding walls of the building are set up, after the floorstructure is complete, by assembly of the side panel members 22 and thecorner panel members 23, and support of said side and corner panelmembers upon the floor structure. The side panel members 22 provide theside wall structure of the building, and the corner panel members 23provide the corner wall structure of said building. As shown, there areeight corner panel members 23.

Each side panel member 22 includes an elongated interior plate 33 havinglongitudinally extending flanges, indicated 34 and 35, upon its oppositeside edges, and a transversely extending flange 36 upon its upper edge.The longitudinal flanges 34 and 35 are parallel with each other andperpendicular to the elongated plate 33, and the transverse flange 36 isperpendicular to said longitudinal flanges 34 and 35, as Well asperpendicular to said elongated plate 33. A bottom wall 37, welded tothe lower ends of the interior plate 33 and the longitudinally extendingflanges 34, 35, of each panel member provides, together with saidinterior plate 33 and the sponding side panel member 22, are eachdenoted 38.

Each side-panel member 22 also includes anelongated exterior plate '39having longitudinally extending flanges,

represented 49 and 41, upon its opposite side edges.

The interior surfaceofthe exterior plate 69 is in-engaged relation withthe exterior surface-of the interior plate 33, and interior surfaces ofthe longitudinal :ilanges 40 and 41 are in engaged relation with theexterior surfaces of the longitudinal flanges =34 and 35; The upper endsof the exterior plate 39 and the longitudinal flanges 49, .41 of eachside panel member'22 desirably may terminate in the plane of thetransverse flange 56 of the corresponding side .panel member, and thelower ends of the exterior plate'siv and the longitudinal flanges 40, 41of each side panel member-22 desirably may terminate in the plane of;the bottom wall 37 of the corresponding side panel member. Br ace bars42 of channel configuration extend between the longitudinalflanges 34and 35 upon the elongated interior plate 3-3 of each of the side panelmembers '22.

A cover plate 43, in spaced, parallel relation to the elongated interiorand exterior plates '33 and 39 of each side frame member 22, is secured,as at 44, to adjacent edge portions of the longitudinally extendingflanges 40 and 41.

Each corner panel member 23 includes an elongated interior plate 45 ofangular configuration having longitudinally extending flanges 46 and 47upon its opposite side edges, and. atransversely extending flange,equivalent to the transversely extending flange 36, upon its upper edge.A bottom wall 48, welded to the lower ends of the interior plate 45 andthe longitudinally extending flanges 46 and 47 of each corner panelmember 23, provides, together with said interior plate 45 ,and thelongitudinally extending flanges 46 and 47 and the transverse fiangeupon the upper edge of the interior plate 45, a box like frame. Saidinterior plate 45 includes openings, equivalent to the openings 38, forthe sake of lightness.

Each corner panel member 23 also includes an elongated exterior plate 49of angular configuration having longitudinally extending flanges 50 and'51 upon its opposite side edges. The interior surface of the exteriorplate 49 is in engagement, with the exterior surface .of the interiorplate 45, and interior surfaces of the longitudinal flanges Siland 51are in engagement with exterior surfaces of the longitudinal flanges 46and .47. The upper ends of the exterior plate 49 and the longitudinalflanges 50, 51 of each corner .panel member 23 terminate in the plane ofthe transverse flange upon the upper end of the interiorplate of thecorresponding corner panel member, and the lower ends of the exteriorplate 49 and the longitudinal flanges 50, 51 of each corner panel membertenninate in the plane of the bottom wall 48 of the corresponding cornerpanel member.

A cover plate 52, in spaced, parallel relation-to the elongated interiorand exterior plates 45 and 49 of each corner panel member 23, issecured, as at 53, to adjacent edge portions of the longitudinallyextending flanges 50 and 51 Meeting side edges of side panel members 22,22 are provided with complementary interfitting tongues and grooves,indicated 54, and meeting .side edges of corner panel members 23 andside panel members 22 are provided with complementary interfittingtongues and grooves 55. When side edges of side panel members 22, 22,and of side and corner panel members 22, 23, are placed in contiguousrelation, longitudinally extending tongues upon one of meeting-sideedgesinterfit with longitudih' l t d n srq ss in t e t e of m etin sid edges,and the/contiguous side edges are secured to 4 each other, as by bolts56 which pass through apertures .inflanges 34,.40,-35, .41 .and .34,.40, .46, .59 vand35, .41,

The bottom walls 37 of the side panel members 22 are secured down uponthe floor structure by bolts 57 which pass through apertures in saidbottom wall 37 and in said floor structure, and the bottom walls 48 ofthe corner panel members 23 ,are similarly secured down upon the floorstructure by ,bolts (not shown) which pass through apertures '58 in'saidbottom walls 48 and in said floor structure.

As diselosed in Figs. 1 and 11, some of the side panel members 22 areshorterthan others, so that door and window frames, denoted 59, 60,61'and 62, respectively, can be incorporated in the building. That is,door and window frames can be situated between side panel members 22 andretained in the side walls of said building. The window frame 62 shownin Fig. ll. is fitted with tongues and grooves upon its opposite ,sideedges adapted to be interlocked with .complementary tongues and groovesupon adjacent side edges of side panel members 22.

There are six .of .the curvilinear roof members 24, all supported uponupper ends .of .side and corner panel lilQl'llbfils 22 and 23, andeachconstructed to have the general shape of a triangle. Each curvilinearroof member 24 is constitutedas a f ramestructure including convergent,curvilinear side channel members 64 which meet at an apex 65. A seriesof curvilinear rafters 66 between the channel membersdlarerigidlysecured thereto. .4 curvilinear ceiling plate 67, triangular in outline,is secured, in any suitable and convenient manner, to interior surfacesof curvilinear rafters 66, as well as to said Qhannelmembersfisl, and acurvilinear roofing plate 68, also triangular ,in outline, is suitablyand conveniently secured t orexterjior surfacesof curvilinear rafters.66, as Well as to the channel members 64. Reversely bent portions atthe,loWfi .outermargins .of the roof members 24 provide part of a troughfor escape of water to a drain (not shown).

There are ,two ofthe curvilinear roof members 25, also supported uponupper ends of side and corner panel members 22 and 23, and eachconstructed to have the general shape of a rectangle. Each-curvilinearroof member .25 is constituted as .a frame structure including spaced,parallel, curvilinear side channel members 69 and an upper or inner,,strai ght end channel member '70 connected between the upper or inner endsof the side channel members 69. .C,urvil ine,ar rafters 71 'between'thechannel members .69 ,are secured to the channel member 70. A curvilinearceiling plate 72, rectangularin outline, is suitably and convenientlysecured to interior surfaces of the curvinear rafters 71, as well as tothe channel members .69 and Z9, and a curvilinearroofing plate 73, alsorectan- :gular: in outline, is suitably andconvenientlysecured toext'erior surfaces of curvinear-rafters 71, as Well as to said channelmembers .69 and 70. Reversely bent portions at Tthe lower, outer marginsof the roof members 25 provide the remainder ofthe trough a part ofwhich is pro- .vided .by the reversely bent portions :at the lower,outer margins of the roof members 24.

Meeting side edges of the ;roof members 24, 24, as well asmeeting sideedges ofthe roof members 24, 25, are provided with QQmPlementaryinterfitting tongues and grooves, indicated 74. See Figs. 1 and 15. Whenside edges of the roof members are in contiguous relation,longitudinally extending tongues upon one of meeting edges =interfitwith longitudinal extending grooves in the other of meeting side edgesin each instance, and the contiguous side edges are bolted, as at '75,to each other to provide a continuous ubtantially dome shape roof.

"bs erna aia l ssi e s th r q e be 4 1. 42 endures: nia ai uledaes. 9 16ide pan memb 2 and corner panl members 23 are providedwithlongitudinally extending tongues and grooves for aflording tongueand groove fits, as at '76 in Fig. 12, between said roof members andsaid side at 3 corner panel members.

The upper, inner ends of the roof members 25 meet and are joined, as at'77, at the longitudinal and transverse center of the building. Theapices 65 of the three roof members 24 at the left in Fig. 2 meet at theleft end of the joint 77, and the apices 65 of the three roof members 24at the right in said Fig. 2 meet at the right end of said joint 77.

The principles of the invention can be employed to produce manydifferent types of building structures. Rooms of built structures can beenlarged, and additional room can be added. Building construction madeaccord ing to the invention can be one story, or a plurality of stories,high. The several components of the building construction areinterchangeable.

What is claimed is:

1. In a building construction, a vertical panel comprising a firstelongated plate having longitudinally extending flanges upon itsopposite side edges, transversely extending flanges at the opposite endsof and between said longitudinally extending flanges, a second elongatedplate having longitudinally extending flanges upon its opposite sideedges, an interior surface of said second elongated plate being inengaged relation with an exterior surface of said first elongated plateand interior surfaces of the longitudinally extending flanges upon thesecond elongated plate being in engaged relation with exterior surfacesof the longitudinally extending flanges upon the first elongated plate,and a cover plate in spaced relation to said first and second elongatedplates and rigid with portions of said longitudinally extending flanges,exterior bounding surfaces at the opposite sides and top of the verticalpanel including tongues and grooves in the plane thereof and facingoutwardly therefrom.

2. In a building construction, a vertical panel comprising a firstelongated plate having longitudinally extending flanges upon itsopposite side edges, transversely extending flanges at the opposite erdsof and between said longitudinally extending flanges, a second elongatedplate having longitudinally extending flanges upon its opposite sideedges, an interior surface of said second elongated plate being inengaged relation with an exterior surface of said first elongated plateand interior surfaces of the longitudinally extending flanges upon thesecond elongated plate being in engaged relation with exterior surfacesof the iongitudinally extending flanges upon the first elongated plate,brace bars extending across said first elongated plate between saidlongitudinally extending flanges, and an elongated cover plate inspaced, parallel relation to said first and second elongated plates andrigid with the longitudinally extending flanges, exterior boundingsurfaces at the opposite sides and top of the vertical panel includingtongues and grooves in the plane thereof and facing outwardly therefrom.

3. The combination as specified in claim 1 wherein each of said first,second and cover plates includes longitudinally extending portions inangular relation to each other.

4. The combination as specified in claim 2 wherein each of said first,second and cover plates includes longitudinally extending portions inangular relation to each other.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,193,994 Weaver Mar. 19, 1940 2,256,050 Hansen Sept. 16, 1941 2,268,907Scott Ian. 6, 1942 2,358,704 Goudy Sept. 19, 1944 2,453,326 Lambert Nov.9, 1948

